Clutch.



PATENTED DEGLI?, 1907.

0. TORNFELT.

CLUTCH.

ABBLIUATION FILED 11.111.20.190?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR TORNFE'LT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLUTCH.

T o all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR TORNFELT, a sub'ect of the King of Sweden, and a resident of t e city of New York, borough of Manhattan, inthe county and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Clutch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in clutches, and more particularly to that ty e of clutch in which a Huid is continuous y circulated within a closed circuit while theclutch is not in operation, and wherein theclosing of the circuit to prevent the circulation of the fluid prevents relative movement of the driving member and driven member, thus causing one to be rotatedl byf the other.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, all of which will be fully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims. Reference is to be had to the accompany# ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in whlch similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures, and in which Fi e 1 is a transverse section vthrough a clutc constructed accordin to my invention; Fig. 2 is a central lon itudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; ig. 3 is a detail section takenon the lineB-S of Fig.- 1-; and 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4-4 of lyimproved clutch is adapted for use in connecting any suitable driving member to a driven member, and is preferabl so constructed as to connect these mem ers when they are in alinement with each other'. The

clutch comprises two parts separable from.

each other, one of said parts being connected to the driving member and the other of said arts being connected to the driven member. tis evident that either of the partsv may be connected to either member, but I preferably connect the part including the caslng to the `driving member, whereby this casing may constitute at the same time a Hy wheel or bal- In the drawings I have illustrated portions of two shafts 10 and 11, either of whlchlmay 'constitute the driving member but for cleanness in descriptionI will hereinafter referto' tl1e,shaft10 as the driving shaft and the shaft 1 1 lasthe driven shaft. The drive shaft.l

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 20| 1907. Serial No. 863,387.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

10 is'provided with an annular flange or collar 12 integral therewith or rigidly secured thereto, and to this collar .is fastened by means of bolts 13 a casing com rising oppositely dis osed annul'a'r end wa ls 14 and 15 connecte together by a circumferential wall 16. The last mentioned wall is. preferably formed integralwith one of the end walls and is formed of'sucha thickness as to provide the desired balance Wheel effect. The other end wall, as, for instance 15, is rigidly bolted to the circumferential wall 16-by screw bolts 17, or in any other suitable manner, and is provided with an annular collar 18 serving as a guide and bearing for the driven shaft -11. This shaft extends through the casing into a recess in the end wall 14 and is" there preferably provided with an annular ball race 19 spaced from ancppositely disposed ball race 20 by a plurality of ball bearings 21.

the shaft 11I is an eccentric 22 of a length substantially equal to the interior distance between the end walls 14 and l5 and adapted to rotate within the casing and with the shaft 11. Thev circumferential face of the eccentric is provided with a sleeve 23 of anti-fric-v tion metal servingto, form a bearing surface, and in engagement with this surface are aplurality of segment-shaped plates 24. Surrounding said plates adjacent each end thereof and serving to holdthem in engagement with the bearing surface of the eccentric are two o positely disposed rings 25. Intermediate t e' rings and the segmentshaped plates 24 I may, if desired, provide lining members 26 of any suitableanti-friction metal. Ri idly secured thereto or inte# gral with each o the bearing plates 24 I provide outwardly extending rods 27 adapted to serve as pistonrods, inasmuch as the outer end of each is pivotally connected to a corresponding lpiston 28. 4These pistons may be of any suitable character and normally operate in lines radially disposed in respect to the driven shaft 11. Surrounding each, piston and forming the cylinder thereofl provide a member 29 having outwardly extending flangesv 30, .whereby it may be rigidly secured to the en d wall 15, and having an oppositely disposed surface adapted to engage with the p'posite end wall 14. The casingfmay, if desired, set into a recess insaid wall 14, or

-may,- if desired, be providedwith a radial llil . said Wall). The inner end of the cylinder is in open communication with the interior of the main casing and the outer end may be closed by a suitable end plate 31, or may be closedv by` the circumferential Wall '16 of the main, casing Each cylinder adjacent its'outer end is' provided with a pair of outwardly-extending annular flanges 32 and -33 upon opposite sides and forming inlet and outlet -ports to said cylinders, all of the 'ports lof the cylinders lying in a curve concentric with the shaft 11. Connecting the flange 32 of each cylinder to the flange 33 of the .next adjacent cylinder, I provide suitable conduits 34 also lying concentric with the shaft 11 and secured to said flanges by suitable packing boxes 35. The iianges 33 are formed of considerably greater Width than the flanges 32, and through each of th'ese longer flanges I provide a suitable valve, whereby the flow of the fluid through the ports may be readily controlled. In forming these-valves I preferably provide a cylindrical recess 36 extending through the end wall 15 of the 'casing' and through the flanges 33 and lying subst-antially parallel to the shaft 1 1. Il ithin each of these cylindrical recesses I provide a cylindrical valve plug 37 longitudinally movable and` provided with an opening 38 which may be brought into alinement with the ports of the cylinders by the longitudinal movement Aof the cylindrical valve plug to the proper In order to move all of the valve plugs simultaneously, I provide a -collar 39 on the shaft 11, and having outwardly extending larms 41 secured in any suitable manner to the outer end of the valve plugs. By mov# ing the collar 39 longitudinally of the shaft, all of the valve plugs 'are simultaneously operated. Any suitable means, as, forinstance, a collar 42 maybe provided for longitudinally moving the collar 39, and a spring 43 abutting against a collar 44 may.

be provided for normally holding the valves in one of their two positions.

In the operation of my improved clutch the shaft lOvis rotated by any suitable prime mover andthe shaft 11 is connected to any device which' it is'desired to operate. The rotation of the shaft 10 causes the rotation 0f the casing and the cylindersv mounted therein, but as the .pistons may freely reciproeatewthin the casings, the pla-tes 24 move By pulling outward on about the. surface ofthe. eccentric without resulting in any rotation onA the art of the latter. As soon as the several' va ves 37 are moved' so as to prevent ,they circulation of liquid through theconduits a resistance-is offered to the reciprocation of the pistons,

andas said pistons can no. longer reciprocate, the plates 24 must maintain a' constant distance from the shaft 11', and the latter isv caused. to rotate with the drive shaft 10. rIyhe cylinders are 'dly secured to the end wall 15; and eitherltie bearing sleeve 23 may be. slidable Vupon the cam 22, or lthe cam may be slidablybut nonfrotatably mounted upon the shaft. By removing the screws 17 and loosening theecollars 44 and 39, the valvesV 37 may be drawn entirely out ofthe valve casinos and the end wall 15 carrying the cylinders and pistons therein may be moved a suflicient distance away from the circumferential Wall of the casing to permit an inspection or repair ofthe operating mechanism normally Within said casing. Thus, the

cylinders 4and pistons are thoroughly pro.

tected while in use, but may be readily eX- posed to yiew without affecting the relative adjustment of the parts.

- By providin the special form of reciprocating valves s own the operating mechanism for said valves is rendered far simpler than any similar device 'heretofore construc-ted,l and by supporting the pistons and cylinders in the manner hereinbefore described, a very rigid and effective construci.

tion is providedsuitable for general use.

'Having thus .described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: V

1. In a clutch, the combina-tion of a cylindrical casing havingr oppositely disposed end walls, a plurality of cylinders detachably secured to one of said walls and carried thereby and fitting within recesses in the opposite wall, said c vliiulcrsbeing radially disposed, means coacting with said cylinders for causing the circulation of a fluid, and means for controlling said circulation.

2. In a clutch, the combination of a cylindrical casing havingoppositely disposed end walls, a plurality of radially disposed cylinders mounted within said casing and detachabl?v secured to one of said end walls and iittingwvithin radially disposed ,recesses in the opposite end wall, means coacting with said cylinders for causing the circulation of a fluid, and means for controlling said circu-` lation.

3. In a clutch, the combination of a cylindrical casing having oppositely disposed end walls detachably secured together, a plu- -rality of cylinders radially disposed Within said casing and each having flanges detachably secured to one of said end walls, the other of said end Walls being provided with d recesses into which portions of said cylinders Walls, and a Iplura ity of cyllnders radially disposed within said casing and having llanges detachably securing said cylinders to one of said end Walls and the other of said end Walls being provided-With radially disposed recesses lnto which said cylinders eX- tend, whereby the cylinders are carried by one lend wall but supported against lateral movement by both end Walls.

5. In a clutch, the combination of 4a cylindrical casing having oppositely disposed end walls, a plurality of cylinders' detachably secured Within said casing and radially dis'-` posed in'respeet thereto, valve casings integral With sald cyllnders, conduits connecting said cylinders and valve casings in ser1es,

and reciprocating valves disposed parallel to the axis of rotation and mounted within said valve casings for controlling the circulation of a fluid'.

In .testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. s g

. OSCAR TORN FELT.

. LAWRENCE KEHOE, CLAUDE MdoRE. 

